Plastic Resin Identification Code
The plastics industry created the Resin Identification Code in 1988 to help people identify the various plastics used to make bottles and other food and beverage containers. While most plastics are recyclable, only #1 and #2 plastics are widely collected in curbside or drop-off programs. Often only beverage bottles are accepted.
#1 PETE or PET (polyethylene terephthalate) Commonly used for beverage bottles and frozen food trays. Recycling opportunities for PET beverage containers are widespread.
#2 HDPE (high-density polyethylene) Used to produce food containers such as milk and juice jugs, liquid detergent bottles, trash bags and cereal box liners.
#3 VINYL (vinyl) Used in clear food packaging, shampoo bottles and medical tubing. Also used extensively in building and construction.
#4 LDPE (low-density polyethylene) Used in food packaging such as bread, frozen food bags and shrink wrap. Also used for dry cleaning bags, trash bags, wires and cable.
#5 PP (polypropylene) Used to make ketchup and medicine bottles, some dairy containers and molded automobile parts. Recycling opportunities are limited.
#6 PS (polystyrene) PS foam is used as packing material and to make disposable food and drink containers. Solid polystyrene is used to make hard plastic items, such as glasses, containers and disposable cutlery.
#7 (other) Other plastics and difficult-to-recycle composites of multiple types of plastic and other material.
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Why does it say chasing arrows if I can't recycle it?
Chemically speaking, most plastic can be recycled.
The trick is getting a steady and sufficient supply of a given plastic pack to manufacturers in a form they can use.
With exceptions like Formica and some super glues, most plastics are inherently recyclable — once used they can be reheated, reformed and used again. So the little recycling symbol is technically correct.
But today most plastics cannot be economically retrieved in sufficient quantities to support a recycling market. Because of their varying physical and chemical properties, different plastics generally cannot be mixed together when they are reprocessed without damaging them.
Of the six plastics used most to make bottles and containers, there are widespread recycling opportunities for just two – PET and HDPE. Together, those resins accounted for more than 94 percent of all the plastic bottles made in the United States in 1998.
But even with these, there are limits to recycling opportunities. Many residential recycling programs can only accept PET and HDPE beverage containers – frozen food trays, margarine tubs and other food containers come in too many colors to be cost effectively collected in most communities.
The recycling symbol incorporated into the plastic resin identification codes is only meant to help consumers and recyclers sort plastic containers. It does not mean all local recycling programs collect each type of container. There may not be markets close enough to be cost-efficient.
17.04.2007. 06:33
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